Air ejector type device



1969 P. J. COTE AIR EJECI'OR TYPE DEVICE Filed July 11, 1966 INVENTOR.PHILIP J. COTE FIG. 4..

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,444,584 AIR EJECTOR TYPE DEVICE PhilipJ. Cote, 1643 Mammoth Road, Dracut, Mass. 01826 Filed July 11, 1966,Ser. No. 564,252 Int. Cl. A471 5 U6 U5. Cl. 344 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An air ejector device of the type using compressed air tocreate suction in an elongated tube has a single air injector nozzleinclined rearwardly toward the discharge outlet at an angle of about 30to the axis of the tube. The air ejector nozzle tapers to a smalldiameter orifice and is inclined at about 5 laterally to create ahelical, or cyclonic, flow path toward the outlet.

This invention relates to air pressure actuated, hand operated vacuumcleaners.

It is conventional to provide hand operated vacuum cleaners of the typehaving a built-in electric motor for creating suction, but such devicesare heavy to handle because of the motor and are limited as to suctioneffect because of the necessary light weight of the motor.

It has heretofore been proposed, as in US. Patent No. 2,051,717 toJohnson of Aug. 18, 1936, to provide a hand carried suction cleaner inwhich suction is created by an air ejector nozzle located in advance ofthe suction opening, the air being led past the suction opening andalong a dust collecting passage. In US. Patent No. 1,654,- 727 to Greenof Jan. 3, 1958 and US. Patent No. 2,902,- 708 to Riley of Sept. 8 1959the air ejector nozzle is also located in advance of the suctionopening, for the purpose of blowing the particles before they are suckedinto the opening. It is believed that the location of an air ejectionnozzle in advance of a suction mouth is disadvantageous and results inconsiderable reduction of efficiency.

On the other hand, it has been proposed in U.S. Patent No. 2,746,078 toSpurlin of May 22, 1956 to locate the air ejection nozzle in rear of theduct collecting receptacle and this also is believed to greatly reducethe suction effect of the cleaner.

In this invention the hand operated vacuum cleaner comprises a rigidwalled body or tube of predetermined length having an air ejector nozzlein rear of the suction mouth and in advance of the discharge opening, ordust collecting receptacle, this having been found to produce maximumsuction and efficiency. The body, or tube, is of predetermined insidediameter and the air nozzle is at least one, and preferably fivediameters in rear of the suction mouth while being at least one and onehalf and preferably five and one half diameters in advance of thedischarge opening. In addition, the air ejector nozzle tapers from about7 diameters to ,5 diameters at the orifice, the orifice is located in awall of the tube alongside the flow path and is angled rearwardly atabout relative to the longitudinal centre line of the body, or tube.With a disposable collection bag at the discharge end, the deviceconstitutes a rugged, low cost, light vacuum cleaner capable of liftingcoins, cigarette butts and the like. Without the bag and when of desireddimensions, the device is highly eflicient at extracting sand or snowfrom a pile and throwing it for considerable distances, depending on thepressure applied.

The principal object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a lowcost, hand vacuum cleaner, free of the weight and power limitations of abuilt-in electric motor, the cleaner having unusually high suction byreason of actuation by air under relatively high pressure directed3,444,584 Patented May 20, 1969 rearwardly at an angle of about 30 froma single tapered nozzle, the nozzle being located at one side of anunobstructed flow passage and at a spaced longitudinal distance from theentrance mouth and from the discharge port of the cleaner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, highly efiicientvacuum cleaner arranged to be flexibly connected to a single source ofair under high pressure, as at a filling station tire pump, and to becapable of picking up particles and objects from the interior ofautomobiles, not usually liftable by a conventional hand vacuum cleaner.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ejector nozzle typeportable vacuum cleaner in which the air ejector nozzle is angled to thesuction air fiow path to cause a helical, or cyclone, effect and mountedintermediate of, and at one side of, the unobstructed fiow passage toachieve the capability of picking up dust, dirt, sand, water, snow,coins, papers or other similar material.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a cleaner inwhich a readily detachable collection receptacle may be used, or acollection conduit may be at tached leading to a waste vehicle orwithout such parts, the cleaner may merely discharge a stream of snow,sand or other material from one location to another.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from theclaims, the description of the drawing and from the drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, in half section, of a simple, low costembodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation, in half section, on a smaller scale,showing the device of FIGURE 1, extracting snow or sand from a pile anddischarging the same into a truck.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 of another embodiment of thecleaner.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing a commercial embodiment,having different predetermined dimensions and configurations from thecleaner of FIGURE 3, and

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation, with parts broken away, of the deviceshown in FIGURE 3.

As shown in the drawing the air pressure actuated, hand vacuum cleaner20 of the invention, in the lowest cost, embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 2,consists essentially of the elongated hollow tube, or body, 21 ofpredetermined length and internal diameter, the angled air pressurenozzle 22 mounted alongside the flow passage 23, intermediate of thesuction mouth 24 and the discharge opening 25 plus the flexible tube airsupply means 26 for connecting the nozzle to a source of air underpressure 27.

The elongated tube, or body, 21 is preferably of rigid material such asplastic, or metal, and in the form of a hollow cylinder of uniforminternal diameter of about one and one half inches for household orautomobile. The internal diameter is deisgnated D in the drawing andother preferred dimensions are specified in relation to D. It will beobvious that a vacuum cleaner, used for snow 31, or sand, as in FIGURE2, would preferably have a flow passage of more than one and one halfinches in internal diameter and the other dimensions increasedproportionately.

I have discovered that the distance between the suction mouth and thenozzle and the distance between the nozzle and the discharge opening iscritical. If the nozzle is less than about one inch or 1D, in rear ofthe suction mouth, and the distance between the nozzle and the dischargeopening is less than about one and one half inches, or about 1 /2D,vacuum is only fair and the device may have difficulty picking up coinsor other relatively heavy objects. Thus it has been found that a tube ofD internal diameter should be at least about 2 /zD in length, with thenozzle lD in rear of mouth 24 and 1 /zD in advance of opening 25 inorder to pick up coins, cigarette butts, dirt, dust and the like. Asshown in FIGURE 1, best results have been attained with the nozzlelocated substantially centrally, or intermediately, or the body 20, andflow passage 23 about 5D in rear of the mouth 24 and about 5 /zD inadvance of the discharge opening 25.

The nozzle 22 in the illustrated embodiment has an orifice 28 of aboutof an inch in diameter, converging from an internal diameter of 7 of aninch in the flexible tube 32, which forms part of the flexible tube, airpressure supply means 26. With relation to D, the orifice 28 thereforeis about D in internal diameter and the tube 32 is about D in internaldiameter. The air pressure supply source 27 may be a conventionalcompressor and motor of the type used in paint spraying, or may be millsupply if the device is used in a factory. However, for automobile usethe source 27 can conveniently be the conventional air pressure tubeused in filling stations for pumping tires, the available pressure inmost such installations ranging from to 150 p.s.i. Too great a pressuremay fracture an air pervious, dust, collection receptacle such as shownat 33, or may blow it off the tube, so that pressures in the area of 30p.s.i. are recommended for cleaning the floor mats and upholstery ofautomobiles. However, when used without a receptacle, for moving snow orsand, pressures as high as are available are satisfactory, the greaterthe pressure, the greater the suction if the dimensions taught hereinare used.

The dust collection receptacle 33, may be of any well known disposabletype such as are commercially available from Electrolux Corporation ofNew York, NY. or such as are sold as vacuum cleaner bags for handvacuums by any of the various chain stores such as the Grant Maid typesold by W. T. Grant Co. An integral shoulder, 34, or a pair of integralbosses, may be provided on the tube 21 to retain the bag.

The tapered air ejector nozzle 22 is mounted in the wall 35 of the tube21, alongside the flow passage 23 so as to be out of the path of the airflow through the passage. The longitudinal central axis of the nozzle,designated 36 is angularly disposed to the longitudinal central axis ofthe tube, designated 37, at an angle of about 30, the nozzle directingpressurized air along the flow passage toward the discharge opening 25,and bag 33, to draw air in the suction mouth 24. Preferably the axis ofthe nozzle 22 is also angled slightly laterally, for example to create ahelical air flow path in the eflluent section 40 of the tube to give acyclone effect or helical air movement found to be beneficial.

The suction mouth 24 is unobstructed, as are the flow passage 23 and thedischarge opening 25. However, the eflluent end 41 of the wall 35 oftube 21 is preferably obliqued as shown so that there is an overhangingbaflie portion, or hood, 42 which tends to direct dust and dirtlaterally away from the hood and downwardly to the bottom of the bag 33.

Preferably the cleaner includes the integral handle means 43, which ishollow to receive and protect the tube 32 and to secure the air ejectornozzle 22 at the correct angle. The base 44 of the handle is, therefore,at the location of the nozzle and upstands from the tube. It then turnsrearwardly at 45, parallel to the axis 37 of the tube to form a handgrip portion 46.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the cleaner 20 may be used, without a dirt bag, toextract material such as snow or sand 31, from a pile, and discharge thematerial to a desired location such as into a truck 47, or wheelbarrow.A collector tube 48 may be sleeved on the effluent section 40 to guidethe material if desired. Such extensions on the influent section 49, oron the efiiuent section 40, give excellent results. For example athirty-eight inch tube extension sleeved on the influent section 49,over the suction mouth 24, was found to pick up coins with ease.

In FIGURE 3 another embodiment of the invention is shown, in which ahollow plastic housing 52, having a 'handle 53, similar to a flashlightcasing, is provided. The tube 21 extends longitudinally through thehousing, being received in aperture 54 in the front wall 55 and aperture56 in rear wall 57. The air supply tube 32 passes through the hollowhandle 53 and the nozzle 22 is at the base of the handle. The tube 21 isstraight and of rigid material projecting from the housing 52 to providethe essential length of influent section of the tube. A suction nozzzle60, is sleeved on the tip of the influent section 49, over the suctionmouth and is turnable thereon. The nozzle 60 is flared outwardly at 61and provided with an elongated suction slot 62 at the terminal endthereof. The bag 33 is of the Electrolux type and mounted on the tubeoutside the housing.

In FIGURE 4 another embodiment is shown, wherein the housing 70 is ofsmall size but just large enough to hold a miniature type vacuum cleanerbag 71 about four inches in length. The tube 72, corresponding to tube21, is of minimum length for diameter D, namely about two and one halfinches. The housing 70, supports the tube in the front wall 73 of itsbase portion 74 and is provided with the cover 75 threadedly connectedto base portion 74 at 76, so that the cover may be removed to replacethe bag. Cover 75 has the usual air discharge aperture 76, the handle 77is integral with the base portion 74 and contains the nozzle and airtube.

FIGURE 5 is a front view of the device of FIGURE 3 and shows the slightlateral angle of the nozzle which creates the helical, cyclone air path.

What is claimed is:

1. An air pressure actuated ejector device of the hand carried vacuumcleaner type, said device comprising:

an elongated, unitary hollow tubular body of rigid, selfsupportingmaterial, said body having a fluid inlet at one end, a fluid outlet atthe other end, and a longitudinally extending, unobstructed flow passageof uniform cross section connecting said inlet and outlet;

a single tapered fluid ejector nozzle mounted in said body about midwayof said ends with the orifice thereof alongside, and connecting with,said passage, said nozzle being angled toward said fluid outlet at anangle of about thirty degrees to the central longitudinal of saidpassage and being angled at about five degrees laterally to create aslightly helical flow path therein;

integral handle means on said body including an upstanding base portionproximate said nozzle and a hand grip portion extending in parallelismwith said body at a spaced distance therefrom;

fluid pressure supply means including a flexible tube leading to aconduit within said handle means, said conduit connecting with saidnozzle to deliver pressurized fluid therefrom; and

collection means including an air pervious receptacle and an integralprojection on said body proximate the fluid outlet end thereof, saidreceptacle being detachably secured on said integral projection.

2. An air pressure actuated ejector device compnising:

an elongated, hollow body having a fluid inlet at one end, a fluidoutlet at the other end and a longitudinally extending, unobstructedflow passage of uniform cross section connecting said inlet to saidoutlet;

a single tapered, fluid ejector nozzle mounted in said body,intermediate of said ends, with the orifice thereof alongside andcommunicating with said passage, said nozzle being angled toward saidfluid outlet at an angle of about thirty degrees to the centrallongitudinal axis of said passage, and being angled laterally at anangle of about five degrees to direct fluid under pressure along saidpassage toward said outlet in a slightly helical, or cyclonic, swirlingflow path;

a handle integral with said body, said handle having a base extendingoutwardly therefrom proximate the location of said nozzle and thenextending rearwardly, in parallelism with said body, toward said outlet,to form a hand grip at a spaced distance from said body;

conduit means within said handle, extending from said nozzle along saidhand grip, said means including a flexible tube;

and fluid pressure supply means connected to said flexible tube fordelivering fluid under pressure from said orifice to urge any contentswithin said flow passage from the inlet to the outlet thereof.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 6/1939 GreatBritain.

ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

